The estimated cost of raising a child up to the age of 18 years old according to the USDA is $245,340.00. It’s no wonder a lot of parents simply don’t have enough financial resources to send their children to college.
Fortunately, with the fiercely independent culture of the country, young people are not afraid to work.
“Many of them start doing part-time jobs as early as middle school.”
Young tweens babysit and help neighbors with chores. Meanwhile, teenagers work in the retail and F&B industries over the weekends or after school.
Majority of these young people say that they work to help support their family and save for college.
The problem here is that even with young people earning some money from the age of 10 until 17, it’s rare for any of them to have enough to cover college education and university life. Therefore, most of them continue working while going to college.
In a study conducted by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, it was determined that over the past 25 years, more than 70 percent of college students have worked while attending school.
“This somehow indicates that so many young people just deem it necessary to hold a job while studying in order to manage their expenses and lifestyle well.”
Although working while studying is prevalent practice, it doesn’t alter the fact that balancing school and a job is not easy.
It’s definitely easier in middle school and high school, but in college, it’s an entirely different story.
Working while going to college can prove to be quite stressful for the following reasons:
- School hours are different from those in high school. Important college classes can be scheduled as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 9 p.m. Also, classes cannot always be arranged to come one after the other.
- School requirements are more difficult to complete.
- Job opportunities for college-level applicants tend to be more demanding. They require more hours, so scheduling can be a problem as well.
- Zero-hour contracts can be a problem as well. Such an arrangement easily throws a students’ life out of balance.
- Most students already want a part-time job (and sometimes even a full-time job) that is relevant to what they’re studying in university. It’s good training for them, but very taxing.
There’s no denying that the life of a working student is challenging.
However, it is absolutely necessary for many since a growing number of parents would rather pay for their children’s mobile phone bill than college education.
If you need to work your way through college, this arrangement is doable – difficult, but doable. The key here is to have a plan and stick with it.
To help you manage your life when working while going to college, here are some tips to consider:
- Turn to a reputable job search site that will allow you to sift through the best employment opportunities for you. When you’re in university, the job you need to have is one that will not only fit your skills and your schedule, but is also nearby. You can save so much time and energy with a job that’s located close to the school and where you live. This way, you won’t be wasting time being on the road — time that you can use for studying.
- Look for work-at-home opportunities. These can provide an ideal setup and may help you reduce your college living expenses.
- Find a job you love. This can do so much for your overall disposition in life. When you’re not stressed with your job, you’ll have more energy for schoolwork. It’s quite likely too that the enthusiasm you have for work will cross over to classes and other responsibilities.
- Don’t place too much financial responsibility on your job because the job may turn into your number one priority instead of schooling. This can delay your time in college, which will make you accumulate even more expenses instead of take care of your college life.
There are many strategies you can utilize to take care of college finances. You can take full advantage of student discounts, use old textbooks, buy groceries instead of eat out, and others. The job doesn’t need to be the one and only solution.
- Be an expert at organization. Make sure you have a planner and a whiteboard to help you stay on top of all your schedules and responsibilities. A visual representation of all that you need to do and when you need to do them will help greatly with school and work management.
- Get the support of your family and friends. Don’t be afraid to create a group of people that you can turn to for help. Most of the time, they’ll be more than happy to give you a ride to school when you’re running late, feed you, and even get you out of stickier situations.
- Lastly, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make sure you that you still have time to rest. Getting sick due to sleep deprivation will throw off your life balance. Responsibilities may pile up, and at the same time, your personal budget may get compromised.
So with these tips in mind get started on working while going to college by clicking here to get started!